
	The Anti-submarine Gannet was an advanced carrier borne anti-submarine aircraft developed for the Royal Navy.  With a range of some 660 miles (about 995 km), and a munitions load of up to 2850 lbs, the Gannet AS-1 was well equipped for operating over a large area, in adverse weather conditions for either day or night anti-submarine patrols. Click here to read the article by Miles Whittam-Seth and Ken Krachler.
James Bernard McGovern Junior, popularly known by the nickname Earthquake McGoon, was a fighter pilot in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre in the final stages of World War II, and later a commercial pilot carrying passengers and cargo throughout Asia.  The picture is a P-51 from the 23rd Fighter Group’s 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (the Black Lightning Squadron) with which McGovern flew. The legends told about James McGovern are almost unbelievable. Click here to read the article by Tony Atkinson .
The P-51D was perhaps the apex of WWII era piston engine fighters. A few designs were in the wings with the potential to squeeze another bit of performance from the piston engine fighter formula, but not enough to put them in an entirely different class of performance.  Click here to read the article provided by Rob Smith.
An analysis of the best piston fighters of WWII and concludes that the Spitfire XIV was the best fighter.  After the war, former Luftwaffe General of Fighters and Me 262 pilot Adolf Galland said: “The best thing about the Spitfire XIV was that there were so few of them.  Click here to read the article to read the article provided by Rob Smith.

We are continuing to build this gallery with pictures and related articles that have a military history theme

Monthly Meetings

About the meeting
The Society meets on the third Tuesday of each month in the Village Day Club room on the RAAFA Memorial Estate, Bull Creek Drive, Bull Creek.

Click here for directions to the Village Day Club room.

Meetings commence at 7.30 pm, all are welcome and attendance is free. Following is a list of speakers scheduled to present with a summary of their topic.
February 2025

Date – Tuesday February 18th

Speaker – David Archibald

Topic – Building Australia’s defence.
March 2025

Date – Tuesday March 18th

Speaker – Gary Coombe

Topic – The tragedy of the USS INDIANAPOLIS.
April 2025

Date – Tuesday April 15th

Speaker – Peter Illidge

Topic – The Opium Wars – 1839-1860. How 70% of Chinese men became opium addicts by 1860.
May 2025

Date – Tuesday May 20th

Speaker – Mike Galvin

Topic – Lieutenant Ketterer. First In – Last Out, his service from the Gallipoli landing to the Armistice.
June 2025

Date – Tuesday June 17th

Speaker – Daryl Binning

Topic – Kokoda Track or Kokoda Trail – resolving a long controversy.
July 2025

Date – Tuesday July 15th

Speaker – Miles Whittam-Seth

Topic – The B36 Bomber.
August 2025

Date – Tuesday August 19th

Speaker – Tony Atkinson

Topic– The Battle of Route Coloniale in French Indo-China.
September 2025

Date – Tuesday September 16th

Speaker – Tony Holmes

Topic – The Dieppe Raid.
October 2025

Date – Tuesday October 21st

Speaker – Nigel Earnshaw

Topic – To be announced.
November 2025

Date – Tuesday November 18th

Speaker – Paul Grace

Topic – Operation Hurricane – UK nuclear testing in Australia.